Writing and raising children in the leafy London suburbs

I almost never reblog stuff but this piece by Equus altus deserves it: explaining why teachers are striking today, it counters the right-wing press who will doubtless be slandering and belittling the people you trust to educate your children.

I’ve taken some time out to write this open letter to you because I believe it’s important to let you know why I am striking with my fellow teachers on Thursday 17th October.

Firstly, let me apologise for the inevitable inconvenience this action will cause many of you. Teachers do recognise – partly because many of them are parents themselves – that having to find childcare for the day or take a day off work to look after your children is a burden. That’s why taking strike action is always a very last resort. Believe me, none of us are particularly keen on losing a day’s pay either.

Many of you will have read in the press or heard on the news that teachers are taking strike action over changes to their pay and pensions. Often, this is shrouded in an air of disapproval, almost as if…

We all inhabit a house on the edge of London, and I make a living as a copywriter in the centre of town.

It's been a turbulent few years - tragedy struck early in 2011 when my younger brother died very suddenly and unexpectedly. We're still recovering from that.
My dad had a heart transplant in 2008. He's still alive and doing very well indeed.